Dan Gentile is
authorized to
administer the
AKC Canine Good
Citizen Test

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"The Only
Difference
Between Play
Biting & Biting
Is Pressure!"

Socialization

By Dan Gentile

Six to Fourteen weeks - Time for Socialization

From six to fourteen weeks of age is a critical period in a puppy's
life. It is time to socialize your pup.

If a puppy is deprived of socialization, he will grow up fearful of humans
and never be well adjusted. This is the time to introduce him to various
environments and people. Introduce him to people with beards, people with
hats, tall and short people, elderly people, umbrellas, wheelchairs, bikes,
television, vacuums, dogs, cats, load noises, traffic, grass, tile floors,
concrete, cars and trucks, people with glasses, people of different races,
take him to where the school bus stops, where there are lots of children (as long
as he’s not aggressive), and anything else that you can think of. I even
take my puppies to shopping centers, pet stores, flea markets, etc.
Remember don’t scare your pup, but the more things you introduce him to now
the better he’ll be for the rest of his life.

Once he is up to date on his
vaccinations and your veterinarian says it’s ok take him to a dog park, where
he can socialize with other dogs. Too many times I’ve heard from clients
that they couldn’t introduce their puppy to things or take him outside
because it was raining, snowing, too cold, too hot, or they had to take
their children somewhere. A perfect example is my own dog Vox. He was
introduced to as many things as I could think of, the one thing I forgot was
a vacuum, and he’s 3 years old now and to this day he’s leery around vacuum
cleaners. You get the idea. NOW is the time to socialize your pup before
it’s too late.